Instagram, TikTok join conversations to suppress online frauds
Discussed: 20 Feb 2025 at 18: 20
Authorities in Thailand are considering putting in place additional restrictions on online accessibility along the Thai-Myanmar borders, a region known for its many con syndicates.
A committee will attend the Mae Sot region in Tak territory to assess the potential implications of this program on residents this year, according to Siam Hathasongkorh, chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy and Society.
Représentants from the National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT ), telecommunications providers, and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission ( NBTC ) are also on the committee.
In response to the rising number of online scam victims, Mr. Siam’s remarks came on the heels of a meeting on Thursday with representatives from various government departments, including those from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ) and the Anti-Online Crime Centre ( AOC), as well as from representatives from several social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok.
Mr. Siam noted that relevant laws have not yet been amended to facilitate asset recovery, and that the meeting also covered ways to assist victims in recovering their funds from scams. The cabinet approved a second draft of the new cybersecurity act, but it still needs the support of the parliamentary committee.
He added that the tendency of scam syndicates to turn their stolen goods into cryptocurrency complicates recovery efforts because digital assets are not as simple to auction off as physical goods.
When asked about the government’s plan to stop more people from falling for online scams, Mr. Siam claimed that the NBTC and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society are working together to raise public awareness of fraud.
He urged the general public to ignore suspicious calls coming from unidentified numbers, making reference to a recent incident where a university student was forced to pay scammers money after spending more than 17 hours on the phone with them.